NASA selects Pakistani Woman
This is a bit of an encouraging news for us Pakistanis and especially our sisters. Keep on reaching for the stars…
US space agency NASA has selected a Pakistani woman for a mission starting in January 2008, Geo TV reported on Wednesday. The woman, Numara Aslam, is from Lahore and is currently living in France. If the mission goes ahead, she would be the first Pakistani to fly into space. An artist by profession, Aslam has been selected as part of a six-member team made up not of astronauts, but people from other professions.
Well, that’s called good news!
I hope she makes it!
Unfortunately, its not that.
NO, NASA did not select her, she has bought a TICKET for US$ 200,000 to be a passenger on Richard Branson’s commerical space venture Virgin Galactic. If you have $200,000 you can go too. It will give you 5 minutes of weightlessness right at the edge of the atmosphere and space.
Yes, 5 minutes. See here:
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/11/Business/A_blast_of_personalit.shtml
So,, no this is no scientific achievement. This is a rich kid blowing her inheritance on a 5 minute thrill ride.
@ Saddened…thanks for pointing out that the story was misreported and thanks for the appropriate link. I should have done some more research before posting this one but I was just so excited to read about a Pakistani astronaut. There are a lot of talented people in Pakistan…some great astrophysicists…hopefully someday we will have a real talented astronaut.